{"id":1007,"date":"2026-10-16T11:31:22","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T11:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imagestereo.com\/blogs\/?p=1007"},"modified":"2026-10-16T11:32:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T11:32:15","slug":"original-research-for-pr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imagestereo.com\/blogs\/original-research-for-pr\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Original Research to Earn Media Coverage"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a media environment where journalists are receiving dozens of pitches every week, a familiar problem confronts brands and PR teams: how do you give a journalist a reason to care?<\/p>\n

The answer is increasingly less about saying something louder and more about discovering something new.<\/p>\n

This is where original research for PR becomes powerful. Instead of asking journalists to cover what a brand has already said about an industry, research can give them a new fact, trend, comparison or insight that they can build a story around.<\/p>\n

The shift is important. Traditional PR often starts with a brand announcement and looks for a media angle. Research-based PR can work in the opposite direction: start with a question that matters to an audience, find evidence that answers it, and then identify where the brand has a credible role in that conversation.<\/p>\n

Why original research gets journalists’ attention<\/h2>\n

Journalists are not short of information. They are short of genuinely useful information.<\/p>\n

Cision’s 2025 State of the Media research, based on more than 3,000 journalists across 19 markets, found that 55% of journalists wanted original research from their PR contacts. The same research found that 54% wanted compelling data or statistics in pitches.<\/p>\n

The signal is clear: data can make a pitch more useful because it gives a journalist something they can investigate, interpret and report.<\/p>\n

Muck Rack’s 2026 State of Journalism research reinforces this point. While relevance to a journalist’s beat remains the most important consideration, 40% of journalists said original data or research is something they would ideally want a PR professional to offer with a pitch.<\/p>\n

That distinction matters.<\/p>\n

The objective is not to manufacture statistics simply to make a press release look impressive. The objective is to uncover a finding that has news value.<\/p>\n

A statistic becomes interesting when it reveals something people did not know, challenges an assumption, identifies a shift or helps explain why something is happening.<\/p>\n

Start with a question, not a questionnaire<\/h2>\n

One of the biggest mistakes brands make with research is beginning with the methodology instead of the story.<\/p>\n

Before deciding whether to conduct a survey, analyse internal data or commission a study, ask:<\/p>\n

What would we genuinely like to know about this category?<\/h2>\n

For example, instead of researching “consumer preferences towards sustainable products”, a more useful question might be:<\/p>\n

“Are consumers actually willing to pay more for products they consider sustainable?”<\/p>\n

The second question has tension. It creates the possibility of an unexpected answer.<\/p>\n

Good original research often sits at the intersection of three things:<\/p>\n

  • Audience relevance:<\/b> Is this something people genuinely care about?<\/li>\n
  • News value:<\/b> Could the finding support a story or conversation?<\/li>\n
  • Brand relevance:<\/b> Does the organisation have legitimate expertise in this space?<\/li>\n

    The third point is particularly important. Research should not feel like a disguised advertisement. If the brand is inserted into every finding, the credibility of the exercise quickly weakens.<\/p>\n

    Build research that journalists can use<\/h2>\n

    Not all data makes good PR.<\/p>\n

    A spreadsheet containing hundreds of figures may be statistically useful but journalistically difficult to use. The role of PR is therefore not simply to collect data, but to translate it into an accessible story.<\/p>\n

    A strong research project should establish its methodology clearly. That includes defining the sample, explaining how respondents were selected, identifying the research period and being transparent about the limitations.<\/p>\n

    The questions themselves also matter. Leading questions can produce findings that look dramatic but are difficult to defend. Neutral wording, an appropriate sample and sensible segmentation make the results far more credible.<\/p>\n

    For instance, data becomes more interesting when it can reveal differences across age groups, regions, industries, business sizes or behavioural patterns, provided the sample supports those comparisons.<\/p>\n

    This is where data-driven PR becomes more than the insertion of percentages into a press release. The data becomes the foundation of the story.<\/p>\n

    Find the story hiding inside the numbers<\/h2>\n

    Research rarely arrives with a headline attached to it.<\/p>\n

    A survey may generate 30 or 40 findings, but only a handful may have genuine media potential. The PR team’s job is to identify the signal.<\/p>\n

    Look for:<\/p>\n

    The unexpected: What result contradicts what people might assume?<\/p>\n

    The significant: Is there a meaningful majority or sharp difference?<\/p>\n

    The changing: Does the research reveal a behavioural or attitudinal shift?<\/p>\n

    The human: Can the data explain something people experience in everyday life?<\/p>\n

    The industry implication: Does the finding indicate a larger change that businesses or policymakers need to consider?<\/p>\n

    For example, “68% of respondents use digital payments” is unlikely to be remarkable on its own. But “Consumers are increasingly choosing digital payments for small everyday purchases, yet remain reluctant to use them for high-value transactions” creates a more interesting editorial question.<\/p>\n

    The difference is not necessarily the data. It is the interpretation.<\/p>\n

    Turn one research project into multiple media opportunities<\/h2>\n

    The strongest research-based PR campaigns do not treat the study as a single press release.<\/p>\n

    One research project can become a media asset ecosystem.<\/p>\n

    The headline finding can anchor a national or industry story. A regional breakdown can create local media angles. A demographic insight can interest lifestyle publications. Sector-specific findings can support trade media. Expert commentary can help explain the implications. Charts and visualisations can support digital publications and social platforms.<\/p>\n

    This approach also makes research more valuable over time.<\/p>\n

    Instead of saying, “Here is our survey”, the pitch becomes:<\/p>\n

    “Our latest research found X. Here is what it could mean for Y.”<\/p>\n

    That gives journalists a reason to investigate rather than simply reproduce a corporate announcement.<\/p>\n

    Pitch the insight, not the research report<\/h2>\n

    Even excellent research can fail if it is poorly pitched.<\/p>\n

    Cision found that 86% of journalists reject pitches that are not aligned with their audience or beat. Muck Rack’s 2025 research similarly found that 86% of journalists ignored pitches that were off-topic.<\/p>\n

    This makes targeting critical.<\/p>\n

    A business journalist may care about the economic implication of your findings. A technology journalist may care about changing adoption patterns. A lifestyle journalist may be interested in the consumer behaviour behind the numbers.<\/p>\n

    The research remains the same. The editorial angle changes.<\/p>\n

    The pitch should therefore lead with the finding, explain why it matters and make clear why the journalist’s audience would care. The methodology and supporting material can follow.<\/p>\n

    In other words, do not pitch:<\/p>\n

    “We have conducted a new survey and would like to share the report.”<\/p>\n

    Pitch:<\/p>\n

    “New research suggests a significant shift in how Indian consumers are approaching X, with Y% changing their behaviour in the last year.”<\/p>\n

    The first asks for attention. The second offers a story.<\/p>\n

    Original research also has an SEO advantage<\/h2>\n

    The value of original research does not end when the first article is published.<\/p>\n

    A genuinely useful study can become a reference point for subsequent articles, reports, presentations and conversations. When other publishers cite the findings, the research can acquire a life beyond the original campaign.<\/p>\n

    This aligns with Google’s own guidance on helpful content, which emphasises originality, substantial additional value, insightful analysis and evidence of expertise rather than simply rewriting information that already exists elsewhere.<\/p>\n

    For brands investing in digital PR<\/a> strategy, this makes original research particularly valuable. A strong research asset can support earned media, thought leadership, organic search visibility and owned content at the same time.<\/p>\n

    The role of PR is changing<\/h2>\n

    The most effective PR teams are no longer simply distributing information. They are helping organisations understand what information is worth creating in the first place.<\/p>\n

    That requires a combination of research thinking, editorial judgement and storytelling.<\/p>\n

    At Image Stereo, this is an important part of approaching PR as more than media outreach. The strongest stories often emerge when a brand’s expertise is connected to a larger cultural, consumer or industry question. Research can provide the evidence that makes that connection meaningful.<\/p>\n

    The ultimate goal is not to create a report with impressive-looking numbers.<\/p>\n

    It is to create knowledge that did not exist in that form before and package it in a way that makes it useful to journalists and their audiences.<\/p>\n

    Because earned media is ultimately about earning attention.<\/p>\n

    And in an increasingly crowded information environment, one of the most compelling things a brand can offer is not another claim about why it matters, but evidence that reveals something that matters.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    In a media environment where journalists are receiving dozens of pitches every week, a familiar problem confronts brands and PR teams: how do you give a journalist a reason to care? The answer is increasingly less about saying something louder and more about discovering something new. This is where original research for PR becomes powerful. 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